Tyre puncture repair report

Wig

The doom-n-gloomers will no doubt reply to this thread saying all sorts like:

These are temporary repairs only
Puncture repairs aren't that expensive
What if your tyre explodes on the motorway
Your tyres are the only contact 'tween you and the road, I don't want mine DIY repaired
You could poke your eye out with those sharp tools
You could cut your hand off
You could slit your wrists with the knife.
Don't do it or the world will end.

But if you consider yourself to be mildly capable in the DIY world and you don't like wasting money, and you can decide for yourself whether something will be safe or not...... then read on
However, I do say that you must not repair on the sidewall or on the tread close to the sidewall

I don't like wasting money -that's why I'm here on MSE- so when I get a puncture on my tyre, I'm annoyed, and I know it needs repaired, as it's got 4 - 5mm tread left, getting a price for a repair can be £15 per tyre, but even if it were £8 I'd still think that was a lot, and ask myself could I do better?

So in my searching for a puncture solution I found these thing on Ebay called
tyre puncture repair strings
tyre puncture repair strips

They are sold on ebay with two hand held tools that aid fitting or you can buy just the strings only.

The tools inclusive pack looks something like this


You can see videos on youtube like this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H186BE4Hu_w&nofeather=True

or this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq3dDoYRlQg&nofeather=True

I also researched the topic on various forums, and people have said they got these sets in poundshops in Glasgow/Ayr, I checked the poundshops in South Wales and they didn't sell them. The forums also said the product worked well and lasted the life of the tyre.

So being a MSE I decided I wanted to try it without the cost of buying the two tools, so I bought 5 strings from ebay, £2 delivered, used the rubber solution in a bicycle repair kit 87p from Wilkinsons. Ideally you will want to buy just the glue in a 15g tube no point buying huge tubes as this stuff -vulcaninsing rubber solution- evaporates over a year from tubes once they are opened.

I decided to push the string into the hole using a screw driver with a 'V' cut in the screwdriver blade, and to ream the hole I used that same screwdriver, I had already grinded the blade so that it was the same diameter as the shaft of the screwdriver this had the effect of creating sharp edges all around the blade-shaft which was ideal to ream the hole out.

When it came to pushing the plug in, it is hard work with a screwdriver, you can see in the video it is hard work with the right tools! I also found that the shaft of the screwdriver being the same as the diameter of the reamed hole - when then trying to get the string into the hole it obviously makes things very tight and the screwdriver blade did cut through the string, after it was in the hole, thankfully. So I pulled out the screwdriver and poked a bit more of the string into the hole. Seemed to work ok. cut the excess off with a stanley blade.

I decided that I would have to make a better tool for pushing in the strings, the screwdriver works well as a reamer although the 5mm diameter might be better increased to a 6mm diameter and use a tool with a thinner shaft for threading the string. I haven't got round to making one yet, but you can either do what I did or just buy the kit with the tools included. I recommend you buy the kits with the tools! but don't poke your eye out

Anyway, I did two tyres the other week and fitted them on the car, done about 500 - 750 miles since and there has been no problem, I checked them today to see what they look like now, I honestly couldn't find the plugs, I had to check three times before I found them, they have both worn flat with the surface of the tyre and turned black, probably with the dirt and dust on the road - exactly the same colour as the rest of the tyre rubber & no loss of pressure.

Two tyres repaired 40p each tyre. :T

Let the games begin!
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mikey72

I had a look at these kits.
What put me off was tyre repair has to be to BSAU159f, and the kits don't repair to that.
When I looked a few years ago, I found a few references that said a patch had to be applied from the inside, with a cold vulcanising adhesive.
I say that, but can't find any reference to back it up now.

Gene_Hunt_2

Wig wrote: »

Two tyres repaired 40p each tyre. :T

I know it's a money saving site, but if it ain't safe and results in a blow out, I'd rather pay £200 for two new tyres.

Rolandtheroadie

Had one under my seat on the motorbike (they come with air as well), handy to have.

Hammyman

There's a reason why tyre fitters use mushroom shaped patches fitted from the inside and it has everything to do with the 30 PSI the tyre is inflated to.

I saw a truck driver on Ice Road Truckers doing a similar repair but he used a stick of rubber, not string.

pstuart

This 'plug' was widely used in the tyre industry some years ago with no problems that I saw.

However, it was stopped when some reports commented that the steel bracing inside the tyre would actually move and flex resulting in the plug being cut.

Hence the BS.

mikey72

They've been "unsuitable" since at least 1990, last kit I saw was in the 80's.
Apart from recent ones that is, they appear to have made a comeback, but probably as the chinese are now supplying them into europe.

Wig

possibly a stick like this one?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQZBgx_C4TM&nofeather=True

30 psi ain't that much, you can cover the hole in your tyre with your finger and stop the air coming out, same with the nail or screw in the tyre, it'll mostly stop the air escaping itself. The pressure ain't that great. A bit of glue on a bit of rubber squeezed in to fill the hole, which then sets and seals the hole is all you need.

mickamike404

If its used as a get you home repair whats the problem.

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pstuart

Wig wrote: »

possibly a stick like this one?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQZBgx_C4TM&nofeather=True

30 psi ain't that much, you can cover the hole in your tyre with your finger and stop the air coming out, same with the nail or screw in the tyre, it'll mostly stop the air escaping itself. The pressure ain't that great. A bit of glue on a bit of rubber squeezed in to fill the hole, which then sets and seals the hole is all you need.[/QUOTE]

I don't mean to be disrepectful, but are you reading the responses?

Your last comment is dangerous.

Flying-High_2

I see your point save a few quid.... stick a bit of glue on it and happy days........Awesome...... :rotfl:

It's like going back to the olden days sometimes on here......:D